« While Jerry Falwell blamed 9/11 on | Main | But, but...we were told Iraq ... »
December 27, 2005
ACLU at it, again
BOYNTON BEACH, FLA---The Palm Beach County School Board is the target of a federal lawsuit filed Dec. 22 by a high school junior and the American Civil Liberties Union for allegedly punishing the student for refusing to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance.Acting on behalf of a public school student who says he was harassed and punished for refusing to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has filed a lawsuit against Palm Beach County school officials for failing to respect the First Amendment rights of 17-year-old Cameron Frazier.
[...]
"I believe that the real meaning of the flag - freedom, liberty and equality - has been tarnished by the recent policies of our government," said Cameron. [that's right, Cameron. You probably were too busy four years ago discovering your personal joystick to notice what happened in NYC and DC .... ed.]
[...]
The ACLU is asking a Palm Beach federal court to declare Florida Statute 1003.44 (1) and the school district's policy unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The ACLU is also asking the court to prohibit school officials from disciplining or retaliating against Frazier for refusing to stand.
Vouchers, please.
Posted by Darleen at December 27, 2005 06:50 AM
Comments
Why vouchers? The public school is doing exactly what you'd like.
When I was in 7th grade I started refusing to say the pledge. I have never been able to stand group-think. I would stand to show respect, but not say the words. The kids around me stood and recited the pledge without a single thought to the words. It was a compulsory action –but meant nothing. It drove my social studies teacher insane that I refused. I argued that my refusal to say the pledge by rote because I "had to" did not make me less patriotic or love this country any less. I argued that it showed that I was thinking and that rather than doing something without thinking and because other were doing it, I could express my appreciation and demonstrate my love for this country in other ways. He threw me out of class –literally. I tumbled into the hallway. Both of us got a talking by the principal. I emerged victorious and was not compelled to say the pledge. It was a great civics lesson for the class. I was able to present my case to the class and he talked to us about why he felt so passionately (turns out he was a Korean War vet, something none of us knew). We had some great discussions.
Posted by: Mieke at December 28, 2005 12:11 AM
Mieke
this was not about saying the Pledge but standing. YOU admitted you stood out of respect.
This is really about allowing a student to tell his teacher to eff-off without consequences.
I think I need to make a post going further on why I think government schools are failing on so many levels and vouchers are the way to go.
Posted by: Darleen at December 28, 2005 12:12 AM
Apparently wounded feelings are now the trump card that any jerk can play---with the eager help of the ACLU---and get money and attention, and, yes, the ability to tell his teacher to "EFF OFF!"
Can I sue such people because they offend my delicate sensibilities? (And are a hell of a societal nuisance?)
P.S. And if you support this kind of c***p, you are hereby forbidden to ever again complain about our "litigious society", and whine about shark lawyers.
Posted by: TalkinKamel at January 1, 2006 08:43 PM